Sound Waves Print

Bio: Matt Astor St Augustine, Florida Matthews Grandparents where born and raised in Italy before immigrating to the states in 1944 because of WWII. Matthew was born and raised in the Nations Oldest City, St. Augustine, FL. Until the late 1990's, it was mainly a small beach town on Florida's northeast coast, but, over the years it has become popular with tourists and transplants from the colder parts of the U.S. Known as the first settlement by the Spanish in North America, the town is rich in history with Spanish forts and architecture from the 16th century to the present. Matt grew up a regular kid who loved the ocean and the small-town atmosphere. After returning from the Army where he was medically retired due to injury, he was dealt some difficult blows. His father had passed away due to chronic lung disease, this was followed by the untimely death of his younger sister. While dealing with his injuries he found himself caught in the trap of drug abuse for a few years. Battling demons and regaining his life, he continued to paint in recovery and has been following this path since. Matt finds inspiration from the personal life struggles that effect each of us to the very core and change the fabric our being. The outward expression through visual art is an affirmation that we can restore our sense of self and community. While painting only for himself till his time, the encouragement of fellow artists has given him the motivation to move into the public domain.